Mop



Jan. 26, 1932.

I D l A. D. WATERS MOP Filed Jan. .13, 1930 WWW 2 3 nventoc Patented Jan. 26, .1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AnCHIEBALn n. WATERS, on NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR To THE STANLEY WORKS, on EW BRI AIN, coN noTIcnT, A CORPORATION on C NNECTICUT .MOP

Application filed January 13, 1930. Serial No. 420,310.

This invention relates to mops or brushes of the type having ametallic or wire frame in the form of a loop, a cleaning material carried by the frame, and a handle to which the 55 frame is pivoted.

The aim of the present invention is to provide, in an article of this character, an improved and simplified arrangement by means of which the ends of the wire frame may be economically and rigidly secured together in such manner that any likelihood of the ends of the frame becoming loose or detached is avoided. My improved mop is very strong and durable and is enabled to withstand all of the abuses to which a device of this sort is ordinarily subjected. ,The arrangement is characterized by its simplicity and the ease with which the ends of thewire frame may be secured in place, it being observed that the parts may be assembled with out the use of special machinery and by unskilled workmen.

A further aim of the invention is to provide an improved pivotal connection between the mop head and the handle which will permit of the one handle being employed in connection with a number of different implements, such as wet mops, polishers, waxers, etc. t

A still further aim of the invention is to provide an arrangement which will permit of reversal of the mop without detaching it from the handle so that either side of the mop may be used as desired, and which willpermit of the mop or other implementon the end of the handleto be worked upon the floor and under relatively low pieces of furniture.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter. i

The invention accordingly consists in the feature of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. 7 r

In the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown, for illustrative purposes, one of the towards each other so that they are many embodiments which the present invention may take:

Figure 1 is a view of my improved mop, parts being in elevation and other parts in section;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the member, herein termed for convenience the connector'lhto which the ends of the wire frame are secured and which is adapted to be pivotally connected to the handle.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3.-3 of Fig. 1, the wooden handle being omitted; Fig. 4 is a-longitudinal sectional view taken. on line 4-4 of Fig. 8; and Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the coupling. Referring to. the drawings in detail, A designates. a handle of wood or the like; B, a coupling or fitting secured to the forward end of the handle, and O, a frame carrying the cleaning element or material D. The frame C is preferably made by twisting together 'two or more strands of wire as is usual in devices of this sort. The cleaning material D may be of any suitable or desired kind, the strands thereof being securedbetween the wires. lhese strands may be of yarn or other fibrous material.

' The frame member C is bent into the form of a loop of desired configuration and the ends of the frame are bent so as to form a U- shaped offset extending inwardly of the loop. This ofiset is formed by bending inwardly portions 10 adjacent the ends of the frame and bending the ends 11 of the wireframe at right angles to'the arms 10.

In accordance with the present invention,

the ends of the wire frame are securely and firmly fastened together by the connector E which, as pointed out hereinafter more in. le-

tail, is adapted to be detachably connected for pivotal movement to the fitting B. A This connector is preferably made by cutting a strip of metal to the desired length, slitting the strip as hereinafter described, punching suitable openings in the strip and then. bend ing' the strip to the shape illustrated.

The connector is somewhat of an open T- shape, it having a base bar or central portion 13 with return bends at its opposite ends providing arms 14 generally parallel to the base bar. The connector has a pair of terminal cars 15 extending from the ends of the arms 14 and at right angles to the base portion 13. The base portion 13 has, adjacent each end, an opening 16, and in the arms 14 are openings 17 aligned or registering with the re spective openings 16. The cars 15 have apertures 18 which are adapted to receive the pivots hereinafter described in detail. The centralv portion 13 further has, at opposite sides of its center, slots or openings 19 into which the tip ends 1.1 of the wire frame are adapted to be bent and clamped in place by clamping lugs 20 preferably formed integrally with the connector. Each of these slots 19 is preferably formed by making'a U-shaped slit in the strip and then bending the metal within the slit outwardly so as to form the clamping lug 20. The ends of the lugs and the cooperating ends of the slots are pref-- crably rounded, as illustrated, as with this arrangement the ends of the wire frame are more securely held.

In assembling and securing the frame to the connector, the ends of the frame are threaded through the aligned openings 17 and 16 and then the ends 11 are bent over so that they are at right angles to the arms 10; engage against the outer surface of the base portion 13, and have their tip ends positioned over the slots 19. Then pressure is applied to the lugs 20 so as to force these lugs against the ends of the frame and partially force those'ends into the slots 19. The lugs may thus be forced down by imparting thereto blows from a hammer or in any other desired manner. When the lugs are forced down, they securely hold and clamp the ends of the wire frame in position. It will be observed tlu t this assembling operation may be very quickly and easily carried out without the requirement of any skill and merely by using a hammer and a suitable anvil or support. Since the portions 11 is at right ans to the arms 10, and the tip ends of the wire frame are secured in position, the wire frame is very securely snubbed in place, the relation between the frame and the connector being such as to most effectively resist any strain exerted upon these parts which might tend to separate them. The arms 13 of the connector serve to hold the arms 10 straight and against bowing when the ends 11 are turned towards one another. The ends of the wire frame are guarded by the connector, so that they can not engage and mar the floor or furniture.

The fitting or coupling B is preferably formed by stamping from sheet metal a blank of the desired configuration and then bending the blank to the shape illustrated. This coupling has a longitudinally extending sleeve portion adapted to receive the forward end of the handle A. The edges of the portion of the blank which forms this sleeve 25 may have inturned teeth 26 which are driven into the handle so as to prevent the latter from being accidentally Withdrawn from place. The coupling B further has, at its forward end, a transversely extending rolled cylinder 27, one end of which has a reduced projection which in the present case is provided by a pin 28 fixed on one end of the cylinder. Slidably mounted in, and protruding beyond, the other end of the cylinder 27, is a pin or bolt 29 behind which is a spring 30. The bolt has an operating member in the form of a knob or handle 31 which extends through an elongated slot 32 in the cylinder 27. The pins 28 and 29 constitute pivots which are adapted to be r ceived by the openings 18 in the cars 15 of the connector. With this arrangement, it will be seen that the coupling,

together with the handle, may be readily attached to and detached from the connector. When it is desired to detach the coupling from the connector, it is merely necessary to retract the bolt 29 by pushing the knob 31 to the right and then slipping the pin 28 from the right hand car. If desired, there may be provided, in addition to the mop head shown, other implements, such as a wet mop or polisher, which may be secured to the handle by means of the coupling described.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently Widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all mat ter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all. statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the character described,

a frame member having inwardly bent arms and end portions at right angles to the arms; and a connector having openings through which said arms extend, said connector having a base portion against which said end portions engage and provided with openings for receiving the tip ends of the frame memher, and lugs on said connector for clamping said tip ends in place.

2. In a device of the character described, a connector having a base portion and arms spaced from said base portion, said arms and base portion having aligned openings, and said base portion having a slot to each side of its center and lugs at said slots; and aframe member having arms extending through said openings, end portions at right angles to said arms, and tip portions adapted to engage in said slots and to be held therein by said lugs. p r

3. In a device of the character described, a connector formed of a strip of metal having a central base portion with a return bend at each end providing an arm, and ears extending from said arms and generally at right angles to the base portion, saidarms and base portion having aligned openings, said base portion having a slot to each side of its center and a lug extending from one edge of each slot; and a frame member having a pair of arms extending through said aligned openings, and end portions at right angles to said arms and having their tips extending into said slots and secured in place therein by said lugs. 4. In a device of the character described,

' a member having a pair of spaced apart aligned openings, a handle and a fitting secured thereto, said fitting having a longitudinally extending sleeve surrounding the forward end of said handle and a cylinder at one end and extending transversely of said sleeve and provided with a slot, a projection extending from one end of said cylinder, a bolt slidably mounted in the other end of said 39 cylinder, an operating member on said bolt extending through said slot, and a spring behind said bolt said projection and bolt being adapted to engage in the respective openings of said member. 7 I V 5. In a device of the character described, a connector having a pair of spaced apart parallel ears provided with aligned openings, a frame secured to saidconnector, a handle, and a fitting carried by said handle and pivotally connected to said connector, said fitting having a socket receiving said handle and a transversely extending cylinder provided with a slot, a projectionextending from one end of said cylinder, a bolt slidably mounted in the other end of said cylinder, a spring behind said bolt, and means for operating said bolt, said bolt and projection being adapted to engage in the openings of said ears.

ARCHIEBALD I). WATERS. 

